Personal Training: Name One Good Reason Why Someone Should Hire You

Written by Aaron M. Potts, ISSA CFT

By time you have gotten past title and read first line of this article, you should already have one reason in your head why a prospective client would hire you. If you don't, then you may have already discovered biggest obstacle to success of your personal training career!

What we're talking about here is a very important sales tool known as a "Unique Selling Proposition". Basically, this is single most important thing about your business that makes you stand out from other professionals in your industry. The basic, bare bones, from gut, instinctive answer that comes to your mind when someone asks, "Why should I train with you instead of another trainer"?

After all, isn't this absolute most important question that you could possibly answer? Isn't this similar to a question that you ask yourself every single time you are about to spend money?

When you are headed out to grocery store, you decide to go to a particular store. Why? Better prices, usually, although that is not always answer.

If you are going to get gas in your car on way to work, you choose a specific gas station to fuel up. Why? Price sometimes, but often with a convenience store, location is more of a deciding factor.

What about if you are going to go shopping for clothes? What makes you decide to go to an anchor store like Sears or JC Penney instead of going to Target, or Wal-Mart? Certainly not price, since department stores are usually cheaper. Why did you go to mall?

By now you should be starting to see a pattern developing here. Whether you are talking about buying groceries, gas, or clothes, each time when you decide to shop at a certain establishment, there is always some underlying reason WHY you decided on that store. Whatever that reason is, that is Unique Selling Proposition of that store, and way they got your business!

For grocery stores, it is often selection that brings in customers. Gas stations have price wars, but in end it often ends up just being about convenience. Clothing stores get a lot of their business from brand names that they carry, rather than their rock-bottom prices.

Those 3 examples were chosen to illustrate an incredibly powerful point for you in your personal training business. That point is that you need a Unique Selling Proposition, and contrary to popular belief, having a lower price is not one that you want to choose. In fact, lowering your prices can help you to actually LOSE customers, and will definitely help your business to a lower bottom line!

Now ask yourself same question again, only this time, really take time to think about answer. Why should someone train with you instead of another trainer? It is possible - in fact, even likely - that you may not have a good reason! If that is case, your business is surely suffering as a result, and coming up with your own Unique Selling Proposition should become your highest priority.

Here is a brief but hardly all-encompassing list of ways that your business may stand out from your competitors. Even if none of these ideas apply to you, utilize this list to start thinking of other ways to make yourself a more appealing option for potential clients than your competitors.

Customer Service. This has been one of most basic business success secrets since dawn of time, yet personal trainers often don't take care of their customers nearly as well as they should. For some great tips on customer service, see article 'Personal Training: 6 Secrets of Award Winning Customer Service' at following URL: http://www.completepersonaltrainingbusiness.com/article2.html

Experience. People have always valued businesses who have a lot of experience in service being provided, and that is certainly true for personal training. Your client's very health and well-being is in your hands! Don't expect long-term personal training clients if you don't have knowledge to get them results that they are looking for.

Solving the Nursing Shortage

Written by Que Schafer

For years, hospitals all over United States have experienced a shortage in nurses, nurse administrators, nurse managers and nurse practitioners. Unfortunately, shortage doesn’t appear to be getting any better.

According to a report by Health Resources and Services Administration, 30 states currently have shortages of registered nurses (RNs). The shortage is expected to intensify over next two decades, with 44 states expected to have RN shortages by year 2020. Furthermore, demand for nurses in 2012 is expected to be 2.9 million, up from 2.3 million that were needed in 2003.

There has never been a more appropriate time to pursue a career in nursing in United States. The total job openings, including new jobs and replacing nurses who no longer are practicing, will be more than 1.1 million from 2002 to 2012.

The main reasons for high demand of nurses in this country include an 18 percent growth in population, an aging, health-obsessed baby boomer population, and extended lifespans. According to a report released in May of 2001 by Nursing Institute at University of Illinois College of Nursing, ratio of potential caregivers to people most likely to need care—the elderly population—will decrease by 40 percent between 2010 and 2030.

The problem is one of simple supply and demand. Demand for nurses will grow by 40 percent by year 2020, while supply of nurses will increase by only 6 percent over same period. The aging population of nurses in this country is another factor. The median age of nurses continues to increase, and a large wave of retirements is unavoidable.

In August of 2002, Nursing Reinvestment Act of 2002 was signed by President Bush to address problem of our nation’s nursing shortage. It was intended to promote people to enter and remain in nursing careers, thus helping to lighten growing nursing shortage. The law establishes scholarships, loan repayments, public service announcements, retention grants, career ladders, geriatric training grants and loan cancellation for nursing faculty. Funding for these programs is provided through 2007 by law.

To address growing needs of today’s population, at least one college in particular is offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees to motivated individuals interested in nursing/healthcare arena. Founded in 1976, University of Phoenix is one of original accredited universities to offer online college education with complete degree programs by use of Internet. It is nation’s largest accredited university, with over 17,000 highly qualified instructors, 170 campuses and Internet delivery worldwide.

University of Phoenix offers two Nursing/Health Care undergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN license required) and Bachelor of Science in Health Care Services (BCHCS). The graduate degrees in same field are: Master of Science in Nursing (RN license required), Master of Science in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner (RN license required) and Master of Science in Nursing/MBA/Health Care Management (RN license required).

“The nursing shortage in this country is a major problem, but there are some pluses to dilemma,” said Barbara Sanner, Arizona Marketing Manager for University of Phoenix. “One of benefits to shortage is that you can virtually write your own ticket, meaning that you can work anywhere in country, in any environment and job pays well.” Typically, starting registered nurses earn salaries in $40,000+ range.